Erika N. Jefferson

Erika N. Jefferson, M.S., Professor is an award winning conflict resolution and peace studies educator, receiving the Excellence in Teaching Award from Cuyahoga Community College (2014) and the Adjunct Teacher of the Year Award (2014 - 2015) from the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges.

She began teaching the skills courses for the Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies Short-term Certificate program at Cuyahoga Community College in 2012 and taught conflict management theory for Kent State University’s Center for Applied Conflict Management.

Professor Jefferson is a trained mediator. Her mediation experience includes, mediating landlord-tenant disputes in the Cleveland Municipal Court – Housing Division since 2014, coaching student mediators for the peer to peer mediation pilot at Cuyahoga Community College’s eastern campus, and co -mediating for the Atlanta Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She served on the Board of Directors for the Cleveland Mediation Center. Professor Jefferson is trained in the Sustained Dialogue process through the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network and worked as a student advisor and a co-facilitator for the Sustained Dialogue Trainings. She continues to provide training in conflict resolution skills for students, faculty, and staff.

Additionally, she volunteers on the planning committee for the Annual International Conference on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE). She obtained her B.A. in Communication Management with an emphasis in mediation from Cleveland State University (2009) and her M.S. in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia (2010) after returning to school as an adult student. She completed a study abroad experience in Israel and Palestinian territories where she practiced story gathering surrounding the ongoing conflict in that region.